


pathways to greatness

by CallofTheCurlew



Category: Cats (2019)
Genre: F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, M/M, Magic, Multi, Polyamory, What Macavity Did Next, What Macavity did, magic is dangerous
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:19:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22184719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallofTheCurlew/pseuds/CallofTheCurlew
Summary: The past is blurry. The future is a mystery. Victoria has questions that nobody seems to want to answer, and while she's content in her new home, curiosity beckons and pulls her deeper into the Jellicle tribe than she ever wanted to go. Luckily her two shadows are there to keep her safe. Mostly.
Relationships: Mr. Mistoffelees/Munkustrap/Victoria
Comments: 14
Kudos: 102





	1. After the Ball...

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here we go everyone. Wish me luck!  
> This chapter is only an introduction. I promise the other chapters will be longer!

_She knows that this life isn’t safe, but it’s wild and it’s free._

Victoria doesn’t remember much about her first home. She knows she had a human family, and her spotty memories flicker between cold, shivery nights and an empty, aching belly. Her bed consisted of the cold floor, or a cold table, or a cold mat. The humans refused to let her stay on the couch, or on a bed, so she was always underfoot, loud voices screeching at her when they stepped on her tail or tripped over her in the hall. She doesn't remember how long it went on for, nor how long these people pretended to love her. If it could even count as love?

She doesn’t remember what lead to the darkness of the sack, or the fear that clung to her lungs like ice as she struggled to be free.

Sometimes she wonders if Grizabella was not the only cat that was reborn that night.

The light had been so bright and Munkustrap’s face was the first she saw. He had freed her, let her be reborn into this new life of Jellicle Cats and balls and evil tomcats with a grudge like no other. Of beautiful cats and fat cats who boasted about their weight, of nimble cats and thieving cats, or magic cats that could teleport other cats to fantastic (and not so fantastic) places. 

It's so different from her memories that she wonders if her past was all just a dream. There's no way that there could be such a stark contrast, from a place where she never felt safe to somewhere where she actually belongs?

After the ball, Munkustrap takes her in and his family are beyond kind and welcome her with open arms. In no time she has a collar; black like his, with a little pendant that tells her address in case one day she wanders too far. It’s striking against her white fur, and she finds herself often in front of mirrors, admiring the evidence of her new home.

“Don’t look too long,” Mistoffelees tells her one day, stalking out from behind the mirror.

She jumps in fright, startled by his sudden appearance. He lives in the house next door; a bustling two storey that never seems to be empty, with children and adults coming and going so often that she’s not quite sure how many people actually live there. She goes there often to see him, considered part of their family too even if she boasts someone else's collar. She’s picked up and cuddled and nuzzled and sometimes she’s stepped on or tripped over, but instead of screaming the humans just laugh and give her cuddles and treats and countless apologies.

Despite the love she feels there, she much prefers the quiet of Munkustrap’s house; an older couple with a older child that only visits once a month. She's treated to a warm fireplace and a full belly each night. Old but kind fingers skim her fur and she appreciates the lovely massages long into the night. When she sleeps, she curls up beside a warm body (or two), that hold her when she trembles from the nightmares. Echos of her past that she no longer needs to be afraid of. 

“And why not?” she asks him, admiring herself once in the mirror, tossing her head this way and that so that the pendant reflects the light.

“Cats who care too much for their appearance end up like Bombalurina,” he says with a wrinkle of his nose, “She thinks far too highly of herself.”

Victoria’s ears twitch, too curious to protest the comparison, “Wasn't Bombalurina once a Jellicle?”

“Yes,” he replies curtly, placing himself in front of the mirror so she looks at him instead of her reflection, “Both she and Macavity were. They were tribemates, once.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing that you need to be concerned about,” Munkustrap cuts off Mistoffelees’ next reply, sliding down to join them, “It’s in the past."

She pouts lightly and steps away from the two of them, headed for her favourite cushion. It sits in the most perfect place in the whole room, in a lovely patch of sunlight. She stretches out lazily, content and comfortable as she returns her attention to Munkustrap, "Jellicles tell stories," she tells him, matter-of-factly, "We learn from our mistakes."

The look Munkustrap gives her makes her smile. Here she is; a Jellicle for two seconds and suddenly she knows everything? He chuckles and turns to Mistoffelees to headbutt him lightly in a proper greeting. She hears the deep rumbles from their chests from where she sits and she laughs lightly, her fondness for the two of them shining brightly in her smile.

"It's a boring story," Mistoffelees concedes softly, catching Munkustrap's meaningful look as he pulls away, "Not worth telling."

"Then tell me something else," she starts, rolling onto her side. Domesticity has made her lazy, "Why did Grizabella get a clean slate?" she asks, "Whereas we'd never forgive Bombalurina and Macavity. And how come you held back on punishing Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer? Surely they did worse, even if they didn't know what they were doing? They seemed pretty well in on it, given they were working with Griddlebone, of all cats..."

"So many questions," Munkustrap deflects. He slinks towards her and drops to his stomach, stretching out beside her.

"I'm not a kitten, you know," Victoria protests lightly, batting at his face, "I want to know," she says, shooting a look at Mistoffelees, "I don't care how boring it might seem."

The two toms go quiet, a silent conversation happening between them that Victoria can't quite translate. It's not a no, though, so she sits patiently and waits, her tail flicking gently.

"Tomorrow we'll go for a walk..." Munkustrap finally says, and he wraps his arms around her small frame and pulls her tight against his chest, nuzzling his face into her neck, "And we'll tell you everything you want to know."

She giggles at the contact, nuzzling into him, "Thank you," she breathes, "This is my story now. I want to know everything."

"You might not like what you find," Mistoffelees warned as he finally made his way over, stretching out before falling in a heap beside them.

Victoria reaches for him and he curls into her arms, sighing contently. It only takes a few moments for the two boys to fall asleep in the warmth of the sun, but Victoria stares to the ceiling, her heart stuttering with excitement.

_Tomorrow._


	2. Memories of the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter had a mind of it's own and just didn't want to end!! (also I completely abandoned this fic while I was sick whoops). Sorry for an intensely dialogue-heavy chapter, but I needed to get all this context and relationships/family tree nonsense out of the way so we could get to the good stuff! Hopefully the fluffy beginning and end make up for it!
> 
> (also apparently this is my first multi-chap on this website so good luck I guess?)
> 
> CW: non-graphic descriptions of death, drownings.

The second the sun dips below the skyline and drops darkness upon the house, Victoria pounces. 

Mistoffelees recoils immediately, curling in on himself with a shriek as the young Queen lands on top of him, waking him from the restful sleep he'd been so happily engaged in.

"Victoria..." he whines quietly, squirming away from her and pushing her off the cushion and onto the floor.

She smiles cheekily and dusts Munkustrap's nose with her tail, which causes him to blink awake sleepily. 

"How come _he_ gets the nice wake-up call?" 

Victoria shrugs lightly, rubbing up against the black and white tux with a gentle purr, "No reason," she hums quietly, "Definitely not because you're more fun to tease." 

"It's early, even by my standards," Munkustrap complains lightly, barely paying attention to the young cats in front of him. He gets to his feet, stretching languidly with a long, satisfied groan. 

The grey tabby is not much older than either of them yet acts like he's ancient. Victoria supposes it comes from the burden of leadership, and while he's mid-stretch she pushes him - just gently - so that he topples over. She suspects he exaggerates the fall though as he lands on his side, rolling until he's on his back. 

"You're in a good mood," he comments softly, resting his cheek on his arm.

"Maybe that's because it's _tomorrow_ and I believe you both promised me something _today_..." 

The two of them exchange panicked glances that Victoria can only figure means they forgot, and her mouth falls open in surprise, "You were going to take me on a walk and- you know- _tell me stories_?" 

"Ohh," Mistoffelees says as he remembers, wrinkling his nose as he looks to Munkustap, "I suppose we did..." 

"Are you sure you want to know?" Munkustrap asks, and he regards her with that look, the one that makes Victoria always second guess herself. It's a practiced look, she can tell. He's probably used it on many kittens of the tribe, discouraging them from some act or decision. But Victoria isn't so easily swayed. 

"I want to know our history," she tells him earnestly, "I want to know, Munk. Please." 

"Okay, okay. Alright, well," he stalls, glancing to Mistoffelees, "How about you two go for breakfast, and I'll check on the tribe, okay? I won't be long. We'll meet at the statue?" 

She pouts, because she often likes to follow Munkustrap through the winding streets, remembering names and checking on everyone, but she supposes the sooner he checks on them, the sooner they can get going. She agrees, and together she and Mistoffelees take their time exploring the kitchen for scraps. When there's nothing better than what's in their bowls, they finally settle for their meal. 

"You both seem nervous," she says after swallowing the last of a rather delicious chunk of lamb. She doesn't understand where the humans get this food, but it's the most wonderful thing she's ever tasted. At her old home, she was lucky if dry, old biscuits were even poured out for her. Here, the flavours change, the textures are varied and there never seems to be a shortage. Her favourite part is when the humans leave her a bowl of milk, and she thanks them eagerly by winding around their legs, a strong purr rumbling from her chest. 

"It's not a past anyone likes to remember, you see..." Mistoffelees tells her gently, "Grizabella, Bombalurina... Macavity... They bring bad memories. Bad energy. All of the Jellicles feel it." 

"How long ago did it all happen?" she asks curiously, licking her lips to chase the last of the taste. 

"I see what you're doing," he murmurs with a laugh, "And I'm sure Munkustrap has prepared a retelling in three acts- maybe even four. I don't want to spoil any of it."

She rolls her eyes lightly, bumping him with her shoulder and licking the last remnants of her bowl, "Fine. Have you noticed that my humans always leave three bowls out?" 

"I think they've noticed that I'm a frequent visitor," Mistoffelees says sheepishly, shrugging lightly as he finishes his own breakfast. 

"It's nice of them, don't you think? I've never known a place so hospitable." 

"People aren't all bad." 

"My people were,"

He tilts his head lightly, "Now _that_ is a story I'd like to hear."

"Yeah, well, you might not like what you find," she echoes their sentiments from earlier, her nose wrinkling, "It's not a nice story." 

He watches her curiously, before he leans forward to butt their heads together, "It's part of you. And I want to know everything about you, Victoria..." 

She blushes lightly under his gaze, pulling away and rolling her eyes, "One day, maybe. Now, come on.," she prods him playfully, "We have to go to the statue to meet Munkustrap." 

She leads the way, showing off her knack for remembering directions, but her mind isn't exactly on the journey ahead. Instead, she wonders about her two tomcats, and their own stories. It had been so easy to slot between them that she hadn't bothered to wonder if there was space for her, or even if _they_ knew that there was a 'between' for her to be in. She can't remember if they had seemed close when she arrived, although there's an obvious fondness for each other that speaks volumes of a relationship built on more than just a former friendship. She wonders if-

"Vic," Mistoffelees breaks her train of thought and gets her attention when she takes a wrong turn, but she promises herself that she was just distracted, and not that she didn't know the way, "Did I lose you there for a moment?" 

She shrugs lightly, "I...realised that I have a lot more questions that I thought," she answers easily, rubbing up against him. 

They're affectionate and tactile, always touching whenever they're in reach of each other. They sleep together almost nightly, and she's rarely without at least one of them. It's been days since the ball but they've never spoken of what blossoms between them, but she knows it's something. She also knows that they know it too. The meaningful glances, the gazes that linger just too long. It's incredibly telling, and she wonders what it means for them all, and just how long it will take to- 

"Victoria," Mistoffelees laughs when he has to break her concentration again. He's perched on the paws of the lion, balancing on the uneven surface, "Did you hear me?" 

She winces, "Sorry Misto," she giggles softly, "No, I didn't. Can you repeat yourself?" 

"I can, but I don't know if I want to. Clearly there are much more important things on your mind..." he flops dramatically against the leg, sagging with a hand tossed over his eyes. 

She pounces, knocking him down and batting at his face, "Don't be like that," she giggles, mussing up his headfur. 

"Causing trouble again, Mistoffelees?" 

Victoria looks up eagerly as she hears Munkustrap arriving, and Mistoffelees gets to his feet with an indignant snort, "I can't believe that you both pick on me whenever you're around each other."

"You're more fun to tease," Munkustrap echoes Victoria's words from that morning with a cheeky grin, and the white queen dissolves into giggles. 

"It was she!" Mistoffelees protests, " _She_ wasn't listening to _me_ , Munk. Honest!" 

"Likely story," Munkustrap teases, and Mistoffelees just huffs at them both. 

"I don't know why I bother with the lot of you," he sniffs petulantly, sticking his nose and tail in the air, "You're both terrible company." 

"Is that so?" Munkustrap smirks, glancing over at Victoria with a playful glint in his eyes, "That's too bad. Whoever will turn off the lights when the humans forget, hm?" 

Mistoffelees scoffs, and Victoria would worry he was actually offended if it weren't for the way his ears are perked, "Oh, and now you're just using me for my talents. I see. I understand. Well, don't mind me then. I suppose you can tell Jellicle stories without me from now on..."

He makes to leave, but Munkustrap jumps into his path. Enjoying the little show, Victoria laughs delightedly, taking a seat on one of the paws to get a better view. 

"Tell Jellicle stories without you?" Munkustrap replies in horror, "But then how could I tell the most important story without the star, hm?" 

Mistoffelees drops his offended façade to glance up at him, blinking up with wide eyes, "The most important story?" 

"Of course," Munkustrap's smile was practically bursting off his face, "You saved Old Deuteronomy," he says, poking him gently in the chest, " _You_ , Mister Mistoffelees." 

His face goes red and he looks away with a smug little smile, preening under Munkustrap's praise, "Yeah. I guess that was pretty important, wasn't it?" 

"The most important," Victoria agrees, getting to her feet, "And speaking of stories..." 

She stares expectantly at them, and Mistoffelees pouts, "No, no. I like the part where we're talking about me." 

"We talk about you all the time," Victoria points out, "You know how clever you are." 

"Maybe," Mistoffelees concedes, "But it's a good topic to stay on." 

She glares pointedly at him, and he holds his hands up defensively, "Okay, okay. Fine. Munk?"

Munkustrap, having watched their back and forth with amusement, finally nods, "Yes, yes, okay. Come on then..." 

She falls into step between them, where she belongs, and waits for Munkustrap to start talking. 

"Where should I begin?" he asks softly, leading them down an alley she hadn't been down before. 

Victoria thinks for a moment, but she already knows, "From the beginning," she tells him softly, "How did this all start? How was the tribe formed? Who was Macavity before he was...wanted for everything? And what did he do?" she wrinkles her nose. Her answer probably wasn't helpful, "Everything."

Mistoffelees giggles softly beside her and she bares her teeth at him playfully. 

"Well..." Munkustrap thinks for a moment in silence, before he shrugs, "I was born before there even was a tribe. Old Deuteronomy was a wanderer by choice, but she knew it was no life for a kitten. She scouted the houses for a long time before she left me with the humans I'm with now. It was the perfect choice, and she had made sure they would take care of me." 

"You grew up without her?" Victoria asks in surprise. 

"She visited," Munkustrap defends, "But she had other things to attend to. Tribes to meet, places to travel. She'd always come home with the wildest stories about all the things she'd seen. Once upon a time it made me want to follow in her pawprints...but..." he shrugs again, "My place is here." 

Victoria can't help but notice the tiny hint sadness in his voice and she watches him closely, curious, but it fades before she has time to question it. 

"Sometimes she'd bring home other toms and queens, set them up in a house and continue on her way. And then...she came back and united us all into a tribe." 

"Who were the others?" 

"Some were my new siblings, sometimes they were just strays she'd picked up. She would never tell me which was which though, so I _may_ be related to half the tribe." 

A tiny feeling of dread washes over Victoria and she glances at Mistoffelees, "Which one were you? Stray, or a sibling?" 

Both the toms laugh at what they thought was a joke, but Victoria's almost relieved. It wasn't likely, but for a moment it had her worried that they were just affectionate _brothers_. 

"Neither, actually," he says, "The earliest memory I have is being picked up from a shelter and brought home," he smiles brightly. 

"You don't remember your parents?" 

"No," Mistoffelees tells her, "But there was enough love in my household that I didn't miss what I didn't remember."

She nods, and stops in her tracks when Munkustrap points to one of the rooftops that overlooks the Thames, "That's where we're going," he tells her, and the story pauses as they work their way up and up and up until they're perched on the roof, safe and secure between an air conditioning unit and a tall vent shaft.

The view is exquisite from up here, the night sky big and bright above them, the wind ruffling their fur ever so slightly.

"Why here?" she asks curiously, "Not that it isn't beautiful, but...why did we have to come here for the story?" 

"Mostly the view, but generally the stories come easier when little ears aren't listening," Munkustrap says with a quiet laugh. 

She nods, smiling excitedly before she prompts him to continue, "So Old Deuteronomy formed the tribe. Was Macavity there yet?" 

Munkustrap pauses thoughtfully. He overlooks the city, his strong features looking majestic in silhouette. There's a tiny frown on his face, and it's another moment before he nods, "Yes, but only barely. Old Deuteronomy brought him in, and introduced him as my older brother." 

Victoria's eyes widen almost comically as she stares up at Munkustrap, confused. 

"Older brother?" she whispers. 

He nods, "On her travels, revisiting the places she'd already been, mother had run into him, and had seen he'd fallen with a dark crowd..." his tail is restless as he speaks, and Victoria moves to cuddle up to him on one side, with Mistoffelees sandwiching him in on the other, "So she brought him back to the tribe for a fresh start."

"I remember he was always so angry. I was pretty scared of him," Mistoffelees murmurs. 

"You were also scared of your own shadow," Munkustrap tells him, nuzzling him lightly when he pouts. 

"I--" Mistoffelees starts to protest, before he deflates, "I sure was. But he was extra scary." 

"I was barely a young adult, clumsy and innocent. He always seemed so much older than me. And...of course, once he joined the tribe, I idolised him. He was the first sibling I'd met that was older than me. I followed him around; wanting to be _just_ like him." 

Victoria smiles at the mental image of a more lanky and unsure Munkustrap, tripping over his own paws. It makes her giggle and Munkustrap can't help but smile down at her. She can't seem to imagine Macavity any younger than he is though. The brief glimpse of him that she had gotten wasn't enough to help form the mental image. 

"He was magical then, too." Mistoffelees continues quietly, "He was just- so powerful. I could practically feel it radiating off him at all times. It was half the reason I kept my distance...the pure energy he gave off was almost too much." 

"You had magic too, though? Did you learn from him?" Victoria asks softly. 

"No. No, definitely not. I was too afraid to even approach him." 

"He wasn't mean, at that point. Not really. Irritable, maybe," Munkustrap fills her in, "But he fit in with us all. Went hunting, joined in the celebrations. He was the next in line to take over the tribe from Old Deuteronomy."

"What happened?" 

"There was... an accident," Munkustrap recalls, "With one of the kittens. It was his responsibility to look after them that day, but one of them ran off. I suppose he wasn't watching, wasn't counting- just...missed them altogether. A car struck the kitten, killing him instantly." 

Munkustrap tells the story so methodically, barely an emotion attached as he stares out over the skyline. Victoria can't help her gasp of shock, wide eyes staring at Munkustrap in disbelief. 

"I think that...we could have forgiven him, once the initial shock and grief was over. But Macavity ran away. I think that- the fear, and the shame, and the isolation is what...changed him. From irritable to- to what he became." 

Victoria sits back, taking in all the new information, trying to process it all. Slowly, she goes back over the events, but something doesn't add up, "So...he's mad at your tribe, and his own mother, because his actions lead to the death of a kitten?" 

Munkustrap sighs, pulling himself from between them to pace lightly, "That's not where the story ends." 

"Grizabella gets her turn too, remember?" Mistoffelees murmurs, "It's all tied together." 

She nods, going quiet again. It's all so involved; so much more than she ever thought. 

"Our tribe was getting bigger and bigger every month. It was almost hard to keep track of everyone. We were all reeling after the death of the kit and Macavity's sudden disappearance, but we had to keep on living, of course." 

"Who...was the mother?" she asks softly, "Of the kitten?" she clarifies, but Munkustrap shakes his head.

"I don't remember. I don't think he had one..." he wrinkles his nose and Victoria watches him fret with guilt, "We all waited for someone to come forward to claim him, but...nobody did. Just another stray off the streets. We..." Munkustrap swallows thickly, "Nobody even remembered his name." 

"Munk made it a bit of a mission to learn who everyone was, after that..." Mistoffelees adds quietly. 

"A cat has three different names and we couldn't even remember one of his," Munkustrap sighs. He stares down at his paws for just a moment, remembering the lost kitten, before he looks up at Victoria, "Do you...want me to keep going?" 

She nods, "Of course. I...I said I wanted to know everything." 

Munkustrap nods back, glancing to Mistoffelees to see if he wants to interject. He doesn't - Munkustrap is a much better storyteller than he is, and he enjoys listening too. 

"Well... It was almost half a year later that Macavity revealed himself to us again. The Jellicle Ball, where he asked for the first time to be reborn. There was nothing for him in this world. I suppose the guilt ate at him, twisted him into something ugly with jagged edges..." 

"Old Deuteronomy said no?" 

"Being reborn isn't about...running from your problems," Munkustrap explains softly, "Macavity needed to face his past. But he couldn't, and being told no wasn't something he could cope with. He fled, and it was a while before we saw him again." 

"Is this where... Grizabella comes in?" 

Munkustrap nods, "The glamour cat..." 

"You should've seen her in her youth, Victoria..." Mistoffelees murmurs almost wistfully, "She was radiant. Incredible. One of the most beautiful cats I had ever seen." 

"She was an actress, with Gus. And when she wasn't an actress, she was modelling. Anything to do with her beauty. And yet she still chose to spend her downtime with the likes of us, half-alley cats, half-domesticated felines. But then...she changed. She'd leave for several days, which wasn't too unusual, but when she returned to us once, she was- different. As if she was in a trance."

"We didn't know it then, but Macavity had taken her, and started to...manipulate her mind," Mistoffelees explains. 

"What?" Victoria splutters, looking between them, "What do you mean?" 

"Magic," Mistoffelees says softly, almost embarrassed, "A hypnotism of sorts, but so much more powerful. He could ask her to do anything he wanted, and she would do it." 

"And she couldn't break free?" 

"We didn't know anything about it," Munkustrap admits, "It was the first time we'd seen it. We thought maybe she'd had too much to drink, or gotten into too much catnip. But Macavity used her to find the names and addresses of all the young kittens in the tribe." 

"No..." Victoria whispers. 

"One by one, they started to go missing, starting from our youngest. We couldn't find a pattern. Didn't understand which nights. Our numbers kept dropping and dropping. Sometimes we'd find their waterlogged bodies; and we thought that maybe Growltiger was to blame. Other times they'd just disappear without a trace. Bombalurina was among those taken. Finally one day, Grizabella came to us. She'd broken free- somehow- and confessed her crimes..." 

"She didn't _tell_ us that he hypnotised her though. She just told us what she'd done, and the tribe..." 

"It was like they'd gone mad," Munkustrap continues, "Attacking her, they spun out of control. Emotions had been so high with fear and grief; they had all been looking for someone to blame...and I couldn't stop them. I hadn't taken over by that point, and we were leaderless, with Old Deuteronomy on another of her journeys." 

"It was what lead to you taking over though," Mistoffelees puffs his chest out proudly, "Everyone was very impressed." 

"What happened?" Victoria asks 

Munkustrap shrugs back, "It's a blur." 

"He took charge is what happened. United us all with an academy award winning speech," Mistoffelees boasts, his grin wide as he leaps onto the air conditioning unit, spreading his arms wide, "We mustn't turn to anger!" he exclaims, obviously parodying the tomcat, who fixes him with an unimpressed glare, "We have to stay strong and stay together - we can't let Macavity beat us! He is the enemy, not Grizabella!" 

"Okay, okay, hush," Munkustrap waves a paw at him. 

"He was incredible," Mistoffelees tells Victoria. She watches the grey tabby, and although there's a flush on his face, he seems pleased. 

"So we stayed strong, we reinforced our barriers. Stayed in pairs, moved around the homes, until we could flush Macavity out of hiding. 

"Was there a fight?" 

"No, not really. A few of his henchtoms scuffled with us, but we had the upper hand. All he had were mindless zombies - the kittens and tribe members he hadn't killed."

"He didn't come down personally?" 

"He's not a fighter," Mistoffelees shrugs, "You saw. He'd rather kidnap aging cats and threaten them with drowning than take on the tribe." 

Victoria nods. It makes sense, she supposes. Although she never thought that 'coward' would be a label she'd slap on Macavity.

"So then...?" 

"Outnumbered, he left us to our own devices. We heard of his dealings in other parts of the city. Recruiting, obviously, and generally being a terror. It seems his magic has grown stronger though, and of course...what happened at the ball..." 

Victoria nods. Munkustrap has been talking for a long time, and she wants to give him a break, but there's still more here she hasn't uncovered. She still has questions about Bombalurina, of Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie, but she supposes they can wait for another day. 

"And... Grizabella?" 

"Once the truth came out about her hypnosis, the tribe just...couldn't accept that it was beyond her control. They called her weak-minded, spat and hissed when she came close. They associated the losses of our tribe with her so called betrayal. In the end, she left of her own devices, but I'd say that the tribe didn't really give her a choice."

"There were threats," Mistoffelees confirms in a whisper, "She wouldn't have made it another week had she stayed." 

"Poor thing..." Victoria whispers back, "I'm so glad they came around, eventually." 

"With your help. You didn't even know her story," Mistoffelees tells her softly, "And yet you helped her face the tribe." 

"Do you think everyone believed her in the end?" 

"I think that...the Jellicles saw firsthand what Macavity was capable of," Munkustrap says as he stares out across the city, "We were all blinded by his power - you can't tell me that Catnip wasn't laced with something far more dangerous, for it to take all of us the way it did..." 

Victoria and Mistoffelees both nod, prickling uneasily at the memory. 

The silence that follows isn't an easy one, the three of them lost in their own chaotic thoughts. They stay on the roof a little longer though, finding comfort with each other until the moon reaches it's highest point in the sky. 

It's only when they're climbing back down does Victoria speak again. 

"Do you think Macavity is still a threat?" 

Neither of them answer until they reach the street. Mistoffelees looks to Munkustrap, seemingly curious about the answer as well. 

"I do," the grey tabby says, almost regretfully, "He believes the world has been cruel to him, and has been out to get him since the beginning. He'll stop at nothing until he gets to leave it behind for something better." 

Mistoffelees raises one eyebrow, a small smirk on his lips, "He'll be leaving it one way, that's for sure. Just probably not the way he thinks." 

"Misto!" Victoria exclaims, horrified the young tom even had the capacity to think that way about another. 

"Sorry," he murmurs bashfully, starting to lead the way back home, "It's hard not to think that way after all the damages he's caused." 

"Do you think there's redemption for him, Victoria?" Munkustrap asks, his head tilted as he regards her carefully. 

She wasn't around for his terror; only knows of the ruggedly handsome older tom who approached her in the street - who had seemed friendly enough until he disappeared without a trace. She learned of his cruelties that night, but still...it was hard to wish death upon anyone. 

"He doesn't deserve to be reborn," she conceded, "But putting him to death? Doesn't that make us just as bad as he is?" 

"Ask that question to those who have lost loved ones because of him," Munkustrap says firmly. He falls into step beside her, nudging her gently, "Somehow, I don't believe it's a question we can answer. Killing another for their crimes can be perceived as wrong, yes. But what kind of alternative is there when someone doesn't want to be redeemed?" 

Victoria stares at the road as she walks. For all the information she's received today, she can't help but linger on this part in particular. 

"I think you broke her, Munk..." Mistoffelees teases softly. 

"Broken, hm?" she asks, attitude changing completely as she grins mischievously. The conversation is heavy, and she packs it away, ready to think about it in the long hours she'll be napping when the sun comes up. For now, she just wants to spend time with her toms, "I'll race you to the Milk Bar. Loser is the broken one!" 

The London streets are filled with their laughter as the three of them race each other, scattering trash cans and disturbing flocks of birds as they go. Of course Victoria wins, but only because Mistoffelees spends half his time magicking the trash cans back upright, and if he's honest, Munkustrap just isn't much of a sprinter. Despite their legitimate excuses, they tell her it's because she's definitely the fastest and definitely not broken. 

It's only later, as the sun starts to rise, that Victoria turns to Munkustrap with a fond smile, "Thank you," she says quietly, watching Mistoffelees as he interacts with the sleepy kittens, levitating a small string above their heads to bat and play with, "For telling me the story. And I'm sorry that... Macavity is your brother. It must be hard, growing up with him and then him... betraying you like that." 

Munkustrap smiles, "You're very welcome...and it doesn't bother me as much as it could," he says softly, "Family can be tricky. In the same way that Mistoffelees doesn't miss his biological parents, and sees his humans as the ones who raised him... I feel the same about our tribe here. I idolised my brother, but I'm sure to him I was just a pest. An annoying mosquito that copied him and hung around far too much. When he made his choice to run, he made his choice to abandon this tribe, as well. I've formed better and stronger connections with the cats that I'm _not_ related to. There are countless Jellicles that I trust my life with."

"The same way I trust you, and Mistoffelees with my own." 

The look he gives her sends shivers down her spine, love and affection radiating from the sweet smile on his lips. A low purr rumbles from his chest and she steps closer to nuzzle against it, letting the vibrations soothe her as she wraps her arms around him. 

"Cuddling without me?" Mistoffelees pouts. 

"Always the victim..." Munkustrap complains fondly, and his arm lifts from Victoria's shoulder to pull the tux in. 

She feels nothing but love for both of them, wrapped comfortably in their arms. They'll have to talk about it one day, she knows. _Their_ stories before she came along are just as important to her.

For now, she just enjoys the way they both tighten their arms around her, knowing nothing in the world could hurt her. 


End file.
